


Today Is Worth Tomorrow

by raendown



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [112]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 13:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21495316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown
Summary: Kakashi is proud to show off his newest trick for Sakumo.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Hatake Sakumo
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [112]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533161
Comments: 32
Kudos: 191





	Today Is Worth Tomorrow

Sakumo lay spread out across the back porch like an old dog with tired bones when he felt his son’s tiny chakra signature approaching from the back woods. Digging through his sleepy mind, he realized he couldn’t remember when Kakashi had left the house or whether he’d given the boy permission to run around in the woods alone but even at such a young age Kakashi was incredibly independent. Sometimes it was hard to find the line between keeping him safe and stifling his growth.

Every inch of every limb protested the motion but he made himself sit up before his boy could see him in such a worn out state. Just in the nick of time, as it turned out, as Kakashi came galloping around the corner at full speed the moment he was upright. Even the mask he’d taken to wearing had been forgotten in his excitement, hanging loose around his neck to show off the sort of brilliant smile that so often reminded Sakumo why he still got up in the mornings.

“Tōsan! Tōsan, I did it!” Kakashi’s tiny foot caught on a rock and his even strides became fumbling hops that struggled to keep him upright. Luckily for his nose he managed not to plant himself face first in the dirt yet it didn’t seem as though he’d learned much, hurtling along at the same speeds until he crashed in to the edge of the engawa at his father’s side. “I did it Tōsan!

“Wonderful, Kakashi. Ah, what did you do?”

“Let me show you! It’s so awesome!”

Curious, Sakumo kept his silence to watch Kakashi rush a few feet away again and then spin in a couple of circles to make sure he had enough room for whatever it was he was going to do. His tiny chest was heaving for breath but he didn’t seem inclined to take a moment to catch it back, too excited to show off his new trick instead.

He bit his thumb and Sakumo thought to himself with a smile that he looked just like he was going to summon a battle partner. Then Kakashi ran through a flurry of signs made awkward with inexperience and slammed his palm in to the earth. With a massive spray of smoke he disappeared but for someone of Sakumo’s skill that didn’t matter. He knew those hand signs. More than that, from this distance he could already feel that his son’s chakra was no longer alone inside that screen of smoke.

When it cleared he already had tears in his eyes even before he caught sight of the litter of young puppies all gathered around his son’s feet. Kakashi beamed at him with as much pride as though they were full grown mountainous monsters.

“See!” he cheered. “Surprise! I-I found Kaachan’s contract. And I didn’t _mean_ to go to the mountain but I guess my blood pulled me there or something and the Great Dog Sage said that since I have Kaachan’s blood so strong he would let me choose a partner. Except I couldn’t decide. But then he said I could have all of them! Look at all the dogs!” Dropping to his knees, Kakashi reached out to pull the closest one in to his arms, a little baby pug with soft looking paws.

“This is amazing,” Sakumo choked out honestly.

“Yeah! They’re only small for now though. I promise they’ll get big! The Great Dog Sage said it was important for them to grow with me and that it would make us like brothers. I always wanted brothers!”

Fumbling up on to weak knees, Sakumo made his way across the yard to kneel before his son. This small life that he had brought in to the world and raised, this prodigy who somehow managed to be so deadly already yet still so innocent at the same time. He could not have possibly been more proud of everything his boy was growing up to be.

“You did well, Kakashi,” he said. “I’m very proud of you.”

When his son turned to look at him with stars in those big dark eyes Sakumo realized that it didn’t matter what the villagers said about him. It didn’t matter how tired he was or how much his bones or his heart ached. All of that was worth it to stay and watch this beautiful child grow in to a man, to wait and see all that his precious son could be.


End file.
